Explosion-engine.



Nu. 7|0,727. Patented 00L 7, I902.

W. G. WILSON.

EXPLOSION ENGINE.

(Application filed. Nov 1, 1900.)

(No Model.)

HI!!! H L I Exrusmv ilNiTnn STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

)VALTER GORDON WILSON, OF XVESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

EXPLOSlON-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,727, dated October7, 1902.

Application filed November 1, 1900- Serial No. 35,163- (NO model.)

To CI/ZZ whom it Wtay concern:

Be it known that LWALTER GORDON WIL- SON, engineer, a subject of theQueen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 32 Great Peter street,in the city of )Vestminster, England, have invented new and usefulImprovements in and Relating to Explosion-Engines,of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in and relating toexplosion-engines.

According to this invention there may be four or six cylinders ormultiples of two, and these with their cranks are so arranged as topractically balance the engine and do away with vibration. As applied,for instance, to a four-cylinder explosion-engine working on theso-called Otto cycle, the crank-shaft has four cranks, of which the twoouter cranks are in one direction and the two inner cranks are in theopposite direction. Two of the cylinders are on one side of thecrank-shaft, and the other two cylinders are on the other side of thecrank-shaft. The pistons of each pair always have the same phase, andthe cylinders and cranks are so arranged that there are as manyequidistant phases as there are pairs. The valves for the inlet of theexplosive charge and for the exhaust are preferably mounted in casings,which form the covers of the cylinders, and are Operated in anyconvenient manner. If it be intended to cool the cylinders by air, thespokes of the fly-wheel are formed like a fan or screw, the result ofwhich is that a current of air is always directed or induced onto thecylinders, which are, as usual, provided with radiating fins, even whenthe motor (if the engine be applied to a motor-car) is standing still.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings represents in horizontal section afour-cylinder engine constructed according to my invention, and Fig. 2is an elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan, partly in section, of asix-cylinder engine; and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the relativepositions of the cranks.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, which illustrate a fourcylinder engineworking on the Otto cycle,the crankshaft S has four cranks, (numbered l,2, 3, and 4,) of which the two outer cranks (marked 1 and 4:) are in onedirection and the two inner cranks (marked 2 and 3) are in the otherdirection-that is to say, the

the inlet for the cylinders O and D.

two outer cranks are at one hundred and eighty degrees to the two innercranks. Two of the cylinders (marked A and C) are on one side of thecrank-shaft S, and the other two (marked B and D) are on the other sideof the crank-shaft. The four pistons (marked, respectively, A, B, O, andD) are connected to the cranks by four connecting-rods (not shown) ofusual construction. The valves (not shown) for the inlet or admission ofthe explosive charges and for the exhaust of the products of combustionare preferably mounted in casings, (marked, respectively, A B C and Dwhich form the covers of the cylinders and are operated in anyconvenient manner. The inlet-valves may,

for example, in some cases be provided, as.

is well known, with springs only, which always tend to close the valves,and in that case the vacuum formed in the cylinders will be sufiicientto cause the valves to open to allow of the inlet of the explosivecharge; but the inlet-valves may also be directly Operated by means ofrods (of which only two, marked O and D Fig. 2, are shown) and of cams(of which only one, marked E, Fig. 2, is shown) on'a counter-shaft F,suitably geared to the crank-shaft S. Similarly the exhaust-valves (notshown) are operated by means of rods (of which only two, marked O and D,Fig. 2, are shown) and of cams (of which only one, marked G, is shown)on a counter-shaft H, receiving motion by gearing from the crankshaft S.As indicated, the valves are so arranged that one cam Operates the inletfor two cylinders. Thus one cam (not shown) on the shaft F operates theinlet for the cylinders A and B and the other cam, E, operates In likemanner one cam G operates the exhaust for the cylinders G and D andanother cam (not shown) on the same shaft H operates the exhaust for thecylinders A and B, it being understood that the inlet-valves for thecylinders A B or O D are preferably in line with each other and withtheir common cam and that the exhaust-valves are also similarly in linewith each other and with their common cam. It is also evident that suchan arrangement applies to an engine with two cylinders on opposite sidesof the crankshaft. There are consequently only two cam-shafts, one

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for the inlet-valves and the other for the exhaust-valves, or there maybe only one camshaft to operate both sets of valves. An engine with thecrank-shaft and cylinders disposed in this manner is practicallybalanced and runs with the minimum of vibration, owing principally tothe fact that the two crankpins 2 and 3 of the two inner cranks are onthe same center line. Similarly the two crank-pins 1 and 4 of the twoouter cranks are on the same center line opposite to that of the innercranks, and the obliquity of the opposite connecting-rods is alwaysequal. If the cylinders be cooled by air, the spokes I of the fly-wheelK are formed like a fan or screw, the result of which is that a currentof air is always directed or induced onto the cylinders, which willthen, as usual, he provided with radiating fins, (indicated by theletterL in Fig. 2 only,) even when the motor (if the engine be appliedtoa motor-car) is standing still. In the example shown the piston A hasjust completed its working stroke, the piston B has drawn in its chargeof explosive mixture, the piston G has exhausted the products ofcombustion, and the piston D has compressed its charge. At the end ofthe return stroke of the piston A the latter will have exhausted, thepiston B will have compressed, the piston C will have drawn in a freshcharge, and the piston D will have had its working stroke. At the end ofthe next or third stroke the piston A will have drawn in a fresh charge,B will have had its working stroke, 0' will have compressed, and D willhaveexhausted. Finally at the end of the fourth stroke, which completestwo revolutions of the Otto cycle, the piston A willhave compressed, Bwill have exhausted, C will have completed its working stroke, and Dwill have drawn in a fresh charge.

In engines heretofore constructed the two opposite pistons are balancedas far as concerns the reciprocating forces; but there is a moment dueto the cylinders not being coaxial. Now according to this my inventionthe pistons of a pairsay A and B or C and Dare combined to reduce themoment to a minimumthat is to say, when the two pistons forming one pairof pistons are in the two pistons forming the other pair are out.

In a six-cylinder engine, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the cranks next toeach other, for example, are at one hundred and eighty degrees, the nextpair are at one hundred and twenty degrees to the first pair, and thethird pair are at one hundred and twenty degrees to the second pair.Thus the cranks numbered l and 2 are opposite to each other, as are thecranks 3 and 4 and the cranks 5 and G. The cranks 3 and at are at onehundred and twenty degrees to the cranks l and 2, the cranks 5 and 6 areat one hundred and twenty degrees to the cranks 3 and 4, while thecranks l and 2 are at one hundred and twenty degrees to the cranks 5 and6. In this example the piston of the crank marked 1 has just completedits suction-stroke, the piston of the crank marked 2 has completed itsworking stroke, 3 has caused its piston to perform about two-thirds ofits compressing stroke, 4 has caused its piston to move about twothirdsof its exhausting stroke, the piston of 5 has had about one-third of itsworking stroke, and the piston of 6 has had about one-third of itssuction-stroke.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An explosion-engine comprising a plurality of pairs of cylinders, onecylinder of each pair being on one side of the crank-shaft and the otherbeing on the other side of the crank-shaft, pistons in the saidcylinders, cranks on said crank-shaft of opposite throw for each pair ofpistons, each pair having thus the same phase, the whole being arrangedin such manner that there are as many equidistant phases as there arepairs, means for connecting the said pistons and their cranks and meansfor causing the suctions, compressions, explosions and exhausts to takeplace in rotation in the cylinders, first on one side of the crank-shaftand then on the other side of the crank-shaft, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

2. An explosion-engine comprising a plurality of pairs of cylinders, onecylinder of each pair being on one side of the crankshaft and the otherbeing on the other side of the crank-shaft, pistons in the saidcylinders, a crank on said crank-shaft for each piston, the crank of onepiston of a pair being of opposite throw to the crank of the otherpiston of the pair, each pair of cranks being equidistant from the nextpair, each pair of pistons having thus the same phase, the whole beingarranged in such manner that there are as many equidistant phases asthere are pairs of pistons, means for connecting the said pistons andtheir cranks and means for causing the suctions,compressions,explosionsand exhausts to take place in rotation in the cylinders, first in acylinder of one pair on one side of the crank-shaft and then in acylinder of another pair on the other side of the crank-shaft,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A four-cylinder, four-stroke cycle explosion-engine comprising twopairs of cylinders, two cylinders, each being one of a pair, arranged onone side of the crank-shaft and the other two cylinders, each being oneof a pair arranged on the other side of the crankshaft, pistons in thesaid cylinders, a crank on said crank-shaft for each piston, the cranksfor each pair of pistons being at one hundred and eighty degrees to eachother and so arranged with regard to the cylinders that the pistons ofone pair of cylinders are at the end of their stroke when the pistons ofthe other pair of cylinders are at the beginning of their stroke, eachpair of pistons having thus the same phase, the Whole being arranged insuch manner that there are two equidistant phases,

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means for connecting the said pistons and In testimony whereof I havesigned my their cranks and means for causing the sucname to thisspecification in the presence of IO tions, compressions, explosions andexhausts two subscribing witnesses. to take place in rotation, first ina cylinder of 5 one pair on one side of the crank-shaft and WALTERGORDON WILSON then in a cylinder of the other pair on the WVitnesses:other side of the crank-shaft, substantially V. JENSEN, as and for thepurpose set forth. WALTER J. SKERTEN.

